The weather outside is frightful, but there's a chance that the game tonight at the Scotiabank Saddledome could be anything but delightful for the Calgary Flames as they host the Vancouver Canucks.

The Flames organization has had a terrible week, between losing out on Ryan O'Reilly, the RFA waivers fiasco and, most importantly, a series of blown leads in 2-1 and 5-4 losses to the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche. The club has had time to lick its wounds and hopefully let any distractions blow over, but another "L" tonight would mean another black eye for team that has already been thoroughly worked over.

If the Flames can put togehter a strong, focused performance, the Canucks are beatable – Vancouver played the Los Angeles Kings at home on Saturday night, went to the airport to fly to Calgary and got sent home because of the storm here in Alberta. It will likely be a hectic, stressful and snow-filled trip to YYC for the Vancouver Canucks. If the Flames are on their game, they can win, get back to .500 and keep their dimming playoff hopes alive.

That is, if the game isn't cancelled outright.

THE LINE-UP

The Flames have been one step forward, one step back all season. Currently sitting at a game under .500, they're about to see their roughest stretch of games so far this year – Vancouver tonight, San Jose on Wednesday, then on the road to visit Anaheim for one and Los Angeles for two. It's not inconceivable that they could lose all five games. That's why this contest is critically important to win, because they're facing a travel-weary, tired Canucks team.

Brian McGrattan – wearing #16 – could return to the line-up tonight. He was described by Bob Hartley earlier this week as a game-time decision. McGrattan is big and can drop the gloves, but not much else. Toughness continues to be an on-going concern with the lclub (amongst other things) so we'll see if he adds anything. Either way, he'll play four minutes a game if he does play at all. Akim Aliu has been banished back to Abbotsford.

The other news this week regards injuries. Miikka Kiprusoff has been practicing and should return sometime in the next 7 days. That means Danny Taylor's expected start tonight could be his last of the year for Calgary – assuming no more injuries, of course. Consider tonight an audition for future employment for “The Impaler.”

Mikael Backlund is back skating alone with the yellow caution jersey. He's not with the group yet, but it's an encouraging sign for a guy that was great before he went down with a MCL injury, not to mention a team with the fewest natural centers in the NHL as things stand.

Here are the team's new lines courtesy Sportsnet's Pat Steinberg.

Tanguay – Stajan – Stempniak

Hudler – Cervenka – Iginla

Glencross – Cammalleri – Baertschi

Begin – Comeau - McGrattan

Giordano – Bouwmeester

Brodie – Wideman

Butler - Smith

Danny Taylor starts after MacDonald's implosion agains the Avs.

THE OPPOSITION

The Canucks prevailed over the Kings last night by a 5-2 score. They're at the top of the Northwest Division and are always a tough game for the Flames. Calgary got a point from their two games in Vancouver, but overall have been out-scored 7-3 by Canucks. Leland Irving was not great in a 5-1 loss the last time these teams met on February 9.

As usual, the magical Sedin twins drive the bus, offensively, for the Canucks. They each have a point-per-game or more. Nobody else on that team is really all that close, except for maybe Ryan Kesler who is fortunately injured again.

The Canucks are dealing with a goaltending “controversy,” in that they have both Cory Schneider (6-4-1, 2.65 GAA, .910 S%) and Roberto Luongo (5-1-3, 2.11 GAA, .916 S%) on their roster and basically flip a coin to see which good goalie will start.

Here are last night's lines.

D.Sedin – H.Sedin – Burrows

Booth – Lapierre – Kassian

Higgins – Raymond – Hansen

Sestito – Schroeder – Weise

Edler – Bieksa

Hamhuis – Garrison

Alberts - Tanev

The coin-toss came up heads, so Roberto Luongo will likely start. Oh, and also because Schneider played last night.

SUM IT UP

The Flames have had a rough week and are entering a difficult stretch of games beginning tonight. Facing a tired Canucks team, this is about as easy at it gets for awhile.

This evening's contest is as close to a must-win game as they're going to have this early in the season. With the probable playoff threshold at about 55 points in the West, Calgary can only afford to lose about 9 more games in regulation for the rest of the season. That is a steep hill to climb as it is and grows ever steeper with every new loss.

Ryan Pike has covered the Calgary Flames since 2010. He's Senior Contributing Editor at FlamesNation, a Senior Writer covering the Flames and the NHL Draft for The Hockey Writers, and a correspondent for the Fischler Report. You can see his hand or the side of his head on TV sometimes.

I really love how after every win this team is amazing and after every loss it's a pile of garbage and should be blown up. Oh and Feaster is a moron every other day too. How about you give it some time and let things happen. Might as well start calling Davidson in Columbus an idiot since they aren't winning the cup yet. People say they can deal with blowing the team up(which is totally idiotic by the way). Well they can't those screaming for the blow up will be the first ones burning their tickets when the team is in the basement with no decent players and a couple of guys who may or may not turn out. All we need is to trade Iggy and Cammy and maybe Kipper and that's about it. If we just change a few pieces we'll be good. Iggy can and likely will be amazing somewhere else and realize he really needed a change of scenery once he does move on.

I really love how after every win this team is amazing and after every loss it's a pile of garbage and should be blown up. Oh and Feaster is a moron every other day too. How about you give it some time and let things happen. Might as well start calling Davidson in Columbus an idiot since they aren't winning the cup yet. People say they can deal with blowing the team up(which is totally idiotic by the way). Well they can't those screaming for the blow up will be the first ones burning their tickets when the team is in the basement with no decent players and a couple of guys who may or may not turn out. All we need is to trade Iggy and Cammy and maybe Kipper and that's about it. If we just change a few pieces we'll be good. Iggy can and likely will be amazing somewhere else and realize he really needed a change of scenery once he does move on.

They don't need to blow the entire team up. I think it might be time to say good bye to a few aging core players however. Sometimes change might not really be easy but is needed. This group for whatever reason has never gotten it done and since it's been almost 10 years it's time to say good-bye to the last pieces of the '04 miracle run.

Well that's why I mentioned trading a few of our aging pieces and also why I said blowing it up would be idiotic. I was more pointing this comment at the ones who are bi-polar and think that we're awesome or should be blown up depending on what hour of the day we are in

I really love how after every win this team is amazing and after every loss it's a pile of garbage and should be blown up. Oh and Feaster is a moron every other day too. How about you give it some time and let things happen. Might as well start calling Davidson in Columbus an idiot since they aren't winning the cup yet. People say they can deal with blowing the team up(which is totally idiotic by the way). Well they can't those screaming for the blow up will be the first ones burning their tickets when the team is in the basement with no decent players and a couple of guys who may or may not turn out. All we need is to trade Iggy and Cammy and maybe Kipper and that's about it. If we just change a few pieces we'll be good. Iggy can and likely will be amazing somewhere else and realize he really needed a change of scenery once he does move on.

I had the same line of thought Chillout,and then Cervanka get,s benched,Comeau can do no wrong,McDonald was a goalie that the team had been targeting (injured for a year),Baertchi is a fourth liner,Jones is no good,and McGrattan is a player we need.Hard to stay positive

This team can be retooled,and become competitive again within a few years.However this management group will need to overachieve to pull that off.

got it now, must be been done for a spell. 660 was functioning though. anyone know how to watch the game online.

Yup, go to first row sports. I must warn you that there are a ton of pop up ads but they do time out and you can close them if you click exactly in the x, anywhere else and you will get another pop up.

Hope the Flames don't get slaughtered 5-1, if it weren't for the Blue Jackets we'd be dead last. 14th in the West is getting too familiarly cozy.

Glad Taylor gets another crack, MacBackup gives up way too many rebounds. Goaltending isn't the only concern. The Flames have given up the most goals in the Western Conference. Gio is still adjusting playing in the top 2 every night. They need another top 4 shutdown guy or 2 shutdown guys that can play in the top 6.

We jumped all over Brent Sutter for being to defensive orientated now with Hartley's uptempo style we are one of the worst defensive squads. Sigh.

I mentioned this on twitter, but I wonder why things have been so quiet on the Iggy front.

Now that Iggy has tied Theo for career points as a Flame, as soon as he gets the next one, is that when the two sides get together and start talking turkey?

AS in... Is that when Iggy presents his list of teams he would be willing to go to?

.. Just a thought

i hope the front office crew does their due diligence on any or all activities from here on out. pittsburgh would be a good fit, and they have ample young d men. perhaps shopping some other aging assets might be fashionable now that the cba issues are in the past.